Factsheet December CareerAnna 2017

National

 Nagaland celebrated the 54th Statehood Day and the 18th Hornbill festival 2017 at Naga Heritage Village, Kisama.  The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has entered into 2 Bilateral Advance Pricing Agreements (APAs) . These Agreements are the first ever Bilateral APAs with The Netherlands.  The Minister of Industry and Commerce, Suresh Prabhu, was the the chief guest for the Shared Value Summit 2017 held in New Delhi on the theme “Equity and Empowerment”.  External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj represented in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Russia’s Sochi.India became a full tilme member of SCO in June 2017.  The first International exhibition and Conference on AYUSH and Wellness sector- AROGYA 2017 took place in New Delhi.  The government of India has increased the budget of Agricultural Education by 47.4% this year as compared to the financial year 2013-14. According to the Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh, in order to adopt quality and holistic approach to higher agricultural education, the Fifth Dean Committee Report has been implemented in all the Agricultural Universities.  Cyclone Ockhi dissipated over the Arabian Sea, missing the coast of Gujarat. The cyclone, that claimed at least 37 lives in Kerala, has left a trail of destruction in its wake.  The Andhra Pradesh assembly unanimously passed the Kapu reservation bill which will provide the community with a 5 per cent quota in education and employment in the state.  India and Germany signed several agreements, including a €200 million funding pact for climate-friendly urban mobility project.The ‘Government to Government Umbrella Agreement’ concerning financial cooperation in 2016 (II) under the Indo- German Development Cooperation was formalised.  Kumbh Mela, the mass Hindu pilgrimage of faith, has been inscribed on the UNESCO’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.  Uttar Pradesh's Shamli district was included in the National Capital Region (NCR), taking the total number of districts in the NCR to 23.  Uttar Pradesh has become the first State to endorse the Central government’s draft bill that makes instant triple talaq a cognisable and non-bailable offence.  Kerala to Raise Minimum Liquor Drinking Age from 21 to 23  The first International Conference on Sports Medicine & Sports Sciences “SAICON 2017” was held in New Delhi.  An International conference was being organized on the Ground water issues in the country with a theme of “Ground water Vision 2030- Water Security, Challenges and Climate Change Adaptation”

 India has been declared free from infectious Trachoma which is a contagious bacterial infection of the eye  Minister of State for Culture (Independent Charge) Dr. Mahesh Sharma inaugurated the three days ‘Bodhi Parva: BIMSTEC Festival of Buddhist Heritage’ in New Delhi.  New Delhi will host the two-day long Asean-India Connectivity Summit (AICS) on the theme "Powering Digital and Physical Linkages for Asia in the 21st Century".  Half a billion people have gained access to electricity in India since 2000, almost doubling the country’s electrification rate, according to the World Energy Access report released on Wednesday by the International Energy Agency (IEA). This “remarkable” growth puts India on course to achieving access to electricity for all in the early 2020s, the report added.  The provisional figures of Direct Tax collections up to November, 2017 show that netcollections are at Rs. 4.8 lakh crore which is 14.4% higher than the net collections for the corresponding period of last year.  Narendra Modi commissioned first Scorpene-class submarine INS Kalvari into Indian Navy.  India has been ranked at the 100th position among 149 nations in the global prosperity index, showing a four-rank improvement from last year, according to 2017 LegatumProsperity Index  India Signs Loan Agreement with World Bank for US$ 250 Million for “Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion” (SANKALP) Project  India to Host 3rd Annual Meeting of Board of Governors of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank(AIIB) in June ,2018.  Rajasthan has become the first state in the country to launch free email addresses in Hindi (in Devanagari script) for its residents.  Prime Minister Narendra Modi formally dedicated the 60 MW Tuirial Hydro Electric Power Project (HEPP) to the nation. Prime Minister also launched ‘MyDoNER App’ and will distribute cheques to start-up entrepreneurs in Aizawl.  The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, laid the foundation stone of the Nyaya Gram project of the High Court of Allahabad in Allahabad.  Jammu and Kashmir Bank launched a finance scheme tailored for media fraternity in the state wherein a loan of up to Rs three lakh can be availed by journalists and employees of media houses in the state. The scheme "J-K Bank sahafat finance scheme" was launched.  The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet approved a scheme to provide a pension of Rs 1500 to transgenders above 18 years of age in the state.  UIDAI temporarily barred Bharti Airtel and Airtel Payments Bank from conducting Aadhaar linked e-KYC verification of SIM cards and bank clients.The action follows allegations of Bharti Airtel using the Aadhaar-eKYC based SIM verification process to open payments bank accounts of its subscribers without their 'informed consent'.  The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a penalty of Rs 5 crore on Syndicate Bank for non-compliance with its directions on "Cheque Purchase or Discounting, Bill Discounting, and Know Your Customer (KYC)" norms.

 The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has frozen assets worth Rs 245 crore in connection with its money laundering probe in the alleged fraud of Rs 2,200 crore with the State Trading Corporation (STC).  Goa has celebrated its 56th Liberation Day. The state was liberated on 19th December in 1961 from Portuguese control after almost 450 years of colonial rule.  The BJP has retained power in Gujarat for the 6th time in a row and swept the polls in Himachal Pradesh finishing just short of the two-third majority. The party romped home again in Gujarat by winning 99 seats, seven seats more than the mark of absolute majority in the 182-member House. Congress won 77 seats and others 6.  In Himachal Pradesh, BJP wrested power from Congress by winning 44 seats, two seats short of two-third majority, in the 68 member House. The Congress won 21 and others three.  The Skill Development Ministry and Maruti Suzuki have signed an agreement to impart training to youth and enhance their employment potential.  India and Myanmar signed MoU on Rakhine State Development Programme and on Government to Government agreement on long-term socio-economic development of the state.  The World Bank has committed $125 million (around Rs800 crore) loan to India for the STRIVE project for skill development.  The Indian Army's Southern Command had conducted exercise 'Hamesha Vijayee' in the deserts of Rajasthan  Cabinet approves Establishing India's First National Rail and Transportation University at Vadodara  Minister of communications Manoj Sinha launched DARPAN (Digital Advancement of Rural Post Office for A New India) aimed at realising financial inclusion of un-banked rural population  Vijay Rupani will continue as chief minister of Gujarat and Nitin Patel as his deputy chief minister.  India's first and only design university, 'World University of Design' opened its campus at Sonipat, Haryana.  The Indian Navy deployed a submarine and the P8I long-range maritime aircraft for the first time for a bilateral naval exercise with the Omani navy. The 11th edition of the exercise, 'Naseem Al Bahr' or 'Sea Breeze', was held on December 17 off the coast of Oman.  The government had formally launched the ‘Ganga Gram’ project at the Ganga Gram Swachata Sammelan in New Delhi.  The Bharatiya Janata Party has named Jairam Thakur as legislature party leader in Himachal Pradesh, effectively making him the state’s next chief minister.  To enhance standards of cleanliness on beaches, the environment ministry has launched a pilot project 'Blue Flag' for its clean-up and development.  The Indian Railways on Monday flagged off the country's first air-conditioned suburban local train for Mumbai commuters

 India is all set to get its first runway on a 'sea bridge' soon, as the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has been given a nod to extend Lakshadweep's Agatti Airport.  Prime Minister Narendra Modi will become the first PM in 20 years to attend the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) annual jamboree of the global elite  The Government of India, the Government of Tamil Nadu and the World Bank signed a $318 million loan agreement for the Tamil Nadu Irrigated Agriculture Modernization Project  India Successfully Test-Fires AAD Supersonic Interceptor Missile.  The Lok Sabha passed the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriages) Bill 2017 making instant triple talaq illegal with up to three years in jail for the husband. The bill was passed by the Minister for Law and Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad.  Nirmala Sitharaman launched a start-up incubation center called the Centre for Entrepreneurship Opportunities and Learning (CEOL) in Mangaluru, Karnataka.  The government had on October 24, 2017 unveiled a ₹2.11 lakh crore two-year road map for strengthening NPA-hit public sector banks. Public sector IDBI Bank has received capital infusion of ₹2,729 crore from the government. State-run Bank of India has received capital infusion of Rs. 2,257 crore from the government  Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has laid foundation stones for more than 100 projects worth Rs 700 crore in Nalanda district as part of his state-wide "Vikas Samiksha Yatra".  Allahabad Bank entered into an agreement with state-run National e-Governance Services Limited (NeSL) for utilizing the latter’s Information Utility Services envisaged under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016.  The Republic Day will be celebrated with leaders of all 10 (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Asean countries coming to India as chief guests.  State-run Gas (India) Limited (GAIL) has placed orders for another 400-km natural gas pipeline project under ambitious Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga (PMUG).

International

 India and signed an agreement to deepen cooperation in maritime security and called for ensuring freedom of navigation in critical sea lanes in the backdrop of China’s increasing assertiveness in the region.  The International Monetary Fund announced that it has approved a new USD 88 billion credit line for , replacing the existing line.  Miss Korea Jenny Kim Crowned Miss Supranational 2017 .  Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has been sworn in for a second and final five-year term, a month after winning a bitterly disputed election rerun marked by delays and boycott.

 The first phase of Chabahar port was inaugurated by the Iranian President, opening up a new strategic transit route among Iran, India and Afghanistan, bypassing Pakistan.  held an international conference to draw attention on climate change and its adverse effects on people in the Hindu Kush mountain range.  Preet Didbal has been elected as the mayor of Yuba city in California, becoming the first Sikh woman to hold the position in the United States.  and the United States concluded the Vigilant ACE exercises, the largest joint air drill, meant to serve as a show of strength following North Korea's latest missile launch.  ’s parliament has legislated for marriage equality, passing a bill almost unanimously to allow two people, regardless of sex, to marry.  UAE Armed Forces along with the UK, US and French armies are participating in joint exercises in Abu Dhabi. The drill code is named as “Flag4”  Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has announced that he will be introducing a digital currency called the “petro” in a desperate bid to dodge strict US sanctions.  President Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital and that the American Embassy will be moved there, risking a huge backlash from across the Muslim world. The current U.S. embassy is in Tel Aviv, where most other countries' embassies are maintained.  became the world's first country to shut down national broadcasts of its FM network by completing its transition to digital radio.  The second UN World Tourism Organization/UNESCO World Conference on Tourism and Culture was held in Muscat, Capital city of Oman.  The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) approved its first loan to China, its largest shareholder, to reduce its dependence on coal by over 600,000 tonnes annually by building a natural gas distribution network for villages. The USD 250-million-loan will fund a project to connect 216,750 households in approximately 510 villages to the natural gas distribution network.  Mount Hope becomes UK's new highest mountain after satellites reveal previous measurement was wrong. Mount Hope, in the British Atlantic Territory, was recently re- measured and found to be 377 metres taller than previous calculations. This takes it to 3,239 metres, meaning it knocks Mount Jackson, the current title holder at 3,184 metres.  Saudi Arabia announced it will reopen movie theaters in early 2018, reversing a 35-year ban, the culture and information ministry announced.  Frenchman Francois Gabart smashed the world record for the fastest non-stop solo navigation of the globe, completing the mammoth feat in 42 days, 16 hours, 40 minutes and 35 seconds.  Sebastian Pinera Wins Chile’s Presidential Election.  The World Health Organization has declared Gabon a “polio-free country”, given the lack of new reported or suspected cases in the central African country.  India moves up six places to 60th among 130 nations on the Global Innovation Index as Switzerland, , the Netherlands, the US and the UK retain top spots

 France's parliament has approved a law banning all exploration and production of oil and natural gas by 2040 within the country and its overseas territories.  Britain has been crowned the best country in the world for business by forbes in 2018 for the first time ever, even in the face of uncertainties around Brexit  World's longest glass bridge opens in China at 755 feet height , the newly opened structure that spans the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon in Hunan Province.  Prince Harry has been named the president of AfricanParks, a conservation group that manages a dozen wildlife areas across the continent.  Former football star George Weah has been elected as Liberia's president. The closest rival of Mr Weah was his opponent Joseph Boakai.  The world's largest human genome research project of 100,000 people was launched by China to document their genetic makeup for a study that aims to help generate the precision medicines of the future.

Awards and Honours

 Aditya Puri, the Managing Director of HDFC Bank, is the only Indian on Fortune’s ‘Businessperson of the Year’ list.  The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind conferred the “National Award for Divyangjan, 2017” at a function organized by Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan) .  Indian-American California Senator Kamala Harris has topped the prestigious Foreign Policy magazine's 50 Leading Global Thinkers' list .  The Taj Mahal, India's iconic ivory-white marble mausoleum in Agra, is the second best UNESCO world heritage site in the world. The iconic ivory-white marble mausoleum has been rated second after Cambodia's Angkor Wat.  The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu conferred 'Yeraringan' Award to Prof. M.S. Swaminathan, in Chennai.  G. Satheesh Reddy, Scientific Adviser to Raksha Mantri and Director General, Missiles and Strategic Systems, has been conferred with the prestigious National Design Award.  Bengali Poet Joy Goswami to Get 31st Moortidevi Award for 2017.  Joda East Iron Mine (JEIM) of Tata Steel has been honoured with the prestigious Golden Peacock Innovation Management Award for the year 2017.  Shree Saini, a resident of Washington state, was crowned Miss India USA 2017.

 Lionel Messi, the star forward of Barcelona, has received La Liga s top scorer and best player awards for the 2016-2017 football season  Authors Mamang Dai and Ramesh Kuntal Megh have won this year’s Sahitya Akademi award for their work The Black Hill, a novel, and Vishw Mithak Sarit Sagar, a literary criticism, in English and Hindi respectively. The Sahitya Akademi announced its annual Sahitya Akademi Awards 2017 in 24 languages.  Actress Anushka Sharma has been named PETA's Person of the Year by animal rights organisation People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).  Veteran singer K S Chitra has been selected for this year's prestigious 'Harivarasanam' award, instituted by the Kerala government.

Sports

 India's veteran Winter Olympian Shiva Keshavan won a gold medal at the Asian Luge Championships at Altenberg, Germany.  Indian elite archers finished their campaign in the Asian archery championship with a haul of two gold, three silver and a bronze medal .  Virat Kohli surpasses Brian Lara for most double centuries as captain. Kohli overtook West Indies great Brian Lara, who held the record previously with five double tons in Tests  India’s Deepika Kumari has won bronze medal at the Indoor Archery World Cup Stage 2 that concluded in ,  Mumbai's 18-year-old batsman Prithvi Shaw has been named the captain of the Indian Under-19 team for the 2018 U-19 World Cup  The national football teams from 32 countries found out their fates as the final draw for the 2018 FIFA World Cup was held in the Russian capital of .  Russia was banned from the 2018 Winter Games by the International Olympic Committee over its state-orchestrated doping programme, but clean Russian athletes will be allowed to compete under an Olympic flag.  Afghanistan cricket team spinner Mujeeb Zadran now holds the distinction for being the first 21st century born male cricketer to play international cricket.  Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh will be promoting a UNICEF sports initiative for youngsters in South Asia, which will also have the ICC’s backing.Yuvraj launched the “Power of Sports to Shape the Future of Adolescents” campaign in South Asia.  Kanchanmala Pande created history as she became the first Indian to secure pole position at the World Para-Swimming Championship in Mexico.

 Cristiano Ronaldo (from ) has won the Ballon d'Or for a fifth time to move level with rival Lionel Messi.  The international football federation, FIFA, has lifted a two-year suspension againstKuwait's football association that has prevented the country from participating in international tournaments.  Indian Diving Team won 1 Gold, 3 Silver and 2 Bronze Medals in Open Aquatic Championship 2017. The five-day championship concluded recently in Indonesia's Jakarta.  The Indian cricket Board lifted a four-year suspension on the Rajasthan Cricket Association, ending a feud that has hit the state teams’ development.  Shubhankar Sharma claimed his maiden European Tour victory in the Joburg Open, in South Africa.  India went past 300 for the 96th time in ODIs, thus creating a new world record. They went past Australia’s mark of 95. India and Australia are the only countries who have notched up a 300-plus totals over 90 times.  India defeated Germany 2-1 in the Hockey World League Final to grab the bronze medal at the event, in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.  India is all set to host the 2023 World Cup, the global cricketing event’s 13th edition after the BCCI confirmed the host nation. India will also host the upcoming Champions Trophy in 2021.  Australian hockey team players celebrate with the winners' trophy after beating in the gold-medal match of the FIH Men's Hockey World League Final 2017 at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.  India's Saurabh Chaudhary qualified for the Youth Olympics Games with a gold medal and a junior world record in 10m air pistol at the ongoing Asia Youth Olympics Games.  Pistol aces Jitu Rai and Heena Sidhu bagged a bronze each to continue India's medal charge at the 10th Asian Championship 10m Rifle/Pistol in Wako City,  The emblems of the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, respectively named "Winter Dream" and "Flight," were unveiled .  Double Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar made a glorious return to the international arena by clinching a gold as India won an impressive 59 medals at the Commonwealth Wrestling Championships in Johannesburg, South Africa.  Sakshi Malik clinched a gold medal in the Commonwealth Wrestling championships. Sakshi defeated New Zealand’s Tayla Tuahine Ford in the final of the 62kg women’s freestyle category.  PV Sindhu Wins Silver at Dubai World Badminton Superseries Finals  Former AC Milan and Real Madrid midfielder Kaka, who lifted the 2002 World Cup with , announced his retirement from football.  Sir Mo Farah wins BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2017 after bookies' favourite Anthony Joshua is snubbed by voters

 Real Madrid has earned the honor of being able to wear the official FIFA World Champions Badge on their competition jerseys for the duration of 2018 by defeating Gremio in the final of the FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2017.  Indian junior boxers packed quite a punch at the fifth International Sven Lange Memorial Tournament, clinching six gold, four silver and a bronze medal to finish as overall champions in the German city of Schwerin.  Aakarshi Kashyap, India's top-ranked junior, claimed an impressive double crown at thejunior national badminton championships in Guwahati by winning the Under- 17 and Under-19 singles titles.  The central English city of Birmingham will host the Commonwealth Games in 2022.  Boxer Vijender Singh retains WBO Oriental and Asia Pacific Super Middleweight titles  Indian boxers have claimed three gold, a silver, and a bronze medal at the Galym Zharylgapov Boxing Tournament in Karaganda, .  India’s ace chess player Viswanathan Anand won the World Rapid Chess tournament title in Saudi Arabia  Experienced Haryana shooter Anisa Sayyed won the women's 25m pistol gold with a new record at the ongoing 61st National Shooting Championship Competitions (61st NSCC).

Business and Economy

 Paytm Payments Bank on Monday rolled out Paytm FASTag to enable electronic toll fee collection on highways across the country, in line with the government's move to make FASTag mandatory on every new vehicle sold from December 1.  India's largest digital bank Paytm Payments Bank is the only bank providing zero balance accounts and zero charges on digital transactions. The bank has unveiled 'Paytm Ka ATM' outlets that allows customers to open Saving Accounts and deposit/withdraw money from their bank accounts.  Online food delivery start-up Swiggy (Bundl Technologies Pvt. Ltd) has appointed Vishal Bhatia as chief executive officer for its new supply business  Elite export control regime Wassenaar Arrangement (WA) decided to admit India as its new member. This would raise New Delhi’s stature in the field of non-proliferation besides helping it acquire critical technologies.  Axis Securities, a subsidiary of Axis Bank, has become the first-ever broking arm of a bank to take membership of a commodity exchange by registering itself with NCDEX.

 The Indian economy is expected to witness cyclical growth recovery, with real GDP growth likely to accelerate from 6.4 per cent this year to 7.5 per cent in 2018 and further to 7.7 per cent in 2019, According to global financial services major Morgan Stanley.  OBOPAY, the global mobile payment solutions company, has announced that the company has secured a licence for Prepaid Payment Instrument (PPI) from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to operate a semi-closed loop wallet in the country.  Asian Development Bank lowers India’s GDP forecast for the current fiscal by 0.3% to 6.7 %, attributing it to tepid growth in the first half, demonetisation and transitory challenges.  India's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki became India's sixth most valued firm, crossing India's largest lender State Bank of India (SBI).  BSEs India International Exchange (India INX) said it has received approval from the capital market regulator Sebi on the framework for listing of debt securities  UN Report titled ‘World Economic Situation and Prospects 2018’ says- GDP growth in India is projected to accelerate from 6.7 percent in 2017 to 7.2 percent in 2018 and 7.4 percent in 2019.  Samsung India has entered into a partnership with UNESCO to launch virtual reality content and 360-degree videos on Indian heritage sites.  Direct-to-home (DTH) operator Dish TV India Ltd said that the company has received the final approval from the government for closing its merger with Videocon d2h, the DTH arm of Videocon Industries Ltd.  Ola, operated by ANI Technologies Pvt. Ltd, has acquired online food delivery start-up Foodpanda India from its German parent Delivery Hero AG in an all-stock deal that will see the ride-hailing firm infuse $200 million in Foodpanda India’s operations.  Bharti Airtel has entered into a definitive agreement with Millicom International Cellular under which Airtel Rwanda Limited will acquire 100% equity interest in Tigo Rwanda Limited  The Competition Commission of India has approved the merger of IndusInd Bank and Bharat Financial Inclusion.  The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has initiated "prompt corrective action" (PCA) measures against state-run lender Bank of India in the view of its high non-performing assets (NPAs).  The Reserve Bank of India has put Kolkata-based United Bank of India(UBI) under the prompt corrective action (PCA) framework.  SBI Card and Bharat Petroleum (BPCL) launched a co-branded credit card, BPCL SBI Card, which will offer up to five per cent savings on fuel purchases.  Quikr's acquisition of HDFC Red and HDFC Realty is the second largest such deal, for the Bengaluru-based firm in the real estate vertical after it bought CommonFloor for about $120 million in 2015.  Warehouse service provider Sohan Lal Commodity Management (SLCM) has tied up with HDFC Bank and IndusInd Bank for collateral management.  Amazon's smart home ambitions continue to expand with the acquisition of Blink, a startup behind battery-powered connected cameras.

 India has the highest level of non-performing assets (NPA) among BRICS countries and is ranked fifth on a list of countries with the highest levels of NPAs, as per the report by CARE Ratings  At a time when bitcoins are in focus for the wrong reasons, cryptocurrency dealer Pluto Exchange announced the launch of India's first mobile application for transacting in virtual currencies.

Entertainment

 India's first Madame Tussauds wax museum has been opened in New Delhi with 50 life-like figures .  Time magazine has named “The Silence Breakers” of the #MeToo anti-harassment movement as its Person of the Year. Ashley Judd, one of the first women to publicly accuse disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment, sparking a movement against harassment; Taylor Swift; former Uber engineer Susan Fowler; lobbyist Adama Iwu; and strawberry picker Isabel Pascual (a pseudonym) — dubbed “The Silence Breakers: The Voices That Launched a Movement” — cover the annual issue.  UN Women in collaboration with Facebook inaugurated a two day event in Mumbai titled 'We The Women' to empower and recognise the magnificent contribution of women in our society.  Musician Diddy was on the top of Forbes’ annual world’s highest-paid musician list shows. He is on top despite not releasing any album in 2017.  With earnings of Rs232.83 crore, actor Salman Khan has topped the Forbes India Celebrity 100 list 2017 for the second consecutive year.  The seventh edition of the India International Coffee Festival (IICF) will be held in Bengaluru  Bengaluru becomes the first Indian city to have its own logo. The logo was designed by Nammur, a design start-up, which won a contest and received a prize money of Rs 5 lakh from the government.  Vin Diesel has been named the top-grossing actor of 2017 by Forbes, with $1.6 billion in global ticketing receipts from his film 'The Fate of the Furious'.

Science and Technology

 India's largest floating solar power plant opens in Kerala. it's set up on the Banasura Sagar reservoir in Wayanad, Kerala.The 500 kWp (kilowatt peak) solar plant of the Kerala state electricity board (KSEB) floats on 1.25 acres of water surface of the reservoir. The solar plant has 1,938 solar panels which have been installed on 18 ferro cement floaters with hollow insides.  Kacheguda Railway Station under the South Central Railway (SCR) has earned the unique distinction of being the first Energy Efficient ‘A1 Category’ Railway Station on Indian Railways.  The coastal town of Alappuzha, famous for its backwaters and intricate network of canals and lagoons, has found a spot in a United Nations (UN) report of five global cities that have successfully tackled solid waste management.  China is to build the world’s biggest floating solar power plant to reduce the country’s consumption of fossil fuels and improve air quality as part of its war on pollution. The £113 million project has been funded by China Three Gorges Corporation.  Union Minister of Law & Justice and Electronics & Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad inaugurated the “NIC-CERT”, a setup of National Informatics Centre.  The Andhra Pradesh State Fibernet Limited (APSFL) and Alphabet Inc's X have co-signed a landmark agreement to provide free space optical communication technology to improve Andhra Pradesh's digital infrastructure.

Appointments

 Shri Sunil Kumar Chourasia, IOFS, has been appointed as the new Director General of Ordnance Factories (DGOF) and Chairman of the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) w.e.f. 1st December, 2017.  Actress-producer Dia Mirza has been appointed UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador for India.  Infosys appointed Capgemini executive Salil Parekh as Chief Executive Officer effective January 2, 2018 .  Veteran journalist A Surya Prakash was appointed the chairman of the Prasar Bharati board for a second consecutive term till February 8, 2020, when he turns 70.

 Ellie Goulding Honored as UN Environment Global Goodwill Ambassador.  Azar A.H.Khan Appointed Next Ambassador of India to Turkmenistan.  The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan has named noted Indian businessman, Deepak Parekh, as International Ambassador who will be tasked with championing the UK capital across the globe.  Sarvesh Tiwari Appointed as President Para Sports Foundation  Buddhist monk Dhammapiya from Tripura has been elected as the new secretary general of the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC).  Uma Shankar Appointed RBI Executive Director  Senior IAS officer Pradeep Singh Kharola took charge as the Chairman and Managing Director of Air India.  Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi was elected unopposed as president of the Indian National CongressRahul Gandhi, 47, is the sixth member of the Nehru-Gandhi family to lead the party  Nakul Chopra Elected as BARC (Broadcast Audience Research Council) India Chairman.  R. Hemalatha has been appointed the director of the National Institute of Nutrition, the city- based premier nutrition research institute working under the Indian Council of Medical Research.  Justice UD Salvi Appointed Officiating Chief of National Green Tribunal  Lieutenant General B S Sahrawat took over the reins of National Cadet Corps as its Director General.  Airtel Payments Bank CEO Shashi Arora has resigned in the wake of the firm’s eKYC licence suspension by Aadhaar-issuing body UIDAI.  The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the appointment of Saba Karim as General Manager, Cricket Operations.  Senior IPS officer Abhay was appointed Director General of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB)

Books and Authors

 The word “populism” has been announced as the Cambridge Dictionary 2017 Word of the Year.The Cambridge dictionary defines populism as “political ideas and activities that are intended to get the support of ordinary people by giving them what they want”.  'Youthquake' named word of the year by Oxford Dictionaries. Youthquake is defined by Oxford Dictionary as “a significant cultural, political, or social change arising from the actions or influence of young people”.

Obituaries

 Veteran actor Shashi Kapoor died at the age of 79. Kapoor was unwell for quite some time  France's biggest rock star Johnny Hallyday has died after a battle with lung cancer. He was 74. The singer sold about 100 million records and starred in a number of films in a career that began in 1960.  Bollywood actor, writer, and filmmaker Neeraj Vora, in the coma since a year, died at a Mumbai hospital. He was 54.  Lalji Singh, a pioneer of DNA fingerprinting technology in India and former Vice-Chancellor of Benares Hindu University, BHU (2011 to 2014), passed away at the age of 70.  Acclaimed Bengali singer Jatileswar Mukhopadhyay passed away in Kolkata following a prolonged illness. He was 82.  Famed Bengali film actor Partha Mukhopadhyay had passed away. He was 70. Legendary South African musician Robbie Malinga passed away. The veteran musician suffered from anaemia.  Bob Givens, one of the animators behind designing the iconic characters Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd, died at the age of 99.

Importants Days

Date Day December 1 World AIDS Day December 3 World Day of the Handicapped December 4 Indian Navy Day December 7 Indian Armed Forces Flag Day December 10 Human Rights Day December 18 Minorities Rights Day (India),International Migrants day December 22 National Mathematics Day December 23 Kisan Divas (Farmer’s Day) December 25 good governance day (India)